Nanoscale science and technology has the potential to transform processes involving liquids in various industries. However, a combination of suitable experimental techniques and computational methods is needed in order to reveal the fundamentals of surface wetting phenomena at the nanoscale. Specifically, the understanding of liquid-solid interaction at the nanoscale is hoped to improve existing oil reservoir models up to the macroscale with potential benefits for enhanced oil recovery.
In this seminar, I will present results obtained with a novel measurement platform that enables the nanoscale characterization of tiny amounts of liquids having volumes of the order of 10 attoliter. The analysis of high-resolution optical and topographical data measured on the same oil droplet reveals how droplet shape and surface wetting behavior are influenced by local properties of the surface. The experimental results are compared with results obtained by molecular dynamics simulations which take into consideration the properties of the local chemical environment. I will discuss the future direction of this research and how the results could be applied in the domain of natural resources management.
